GunSerials

Winchester Model 98 Signal Cannon serial numbers — what the records say

The Winchester Model 98 Signal Cannon is a miniature breech-loading cannon designed to fire 10-gauge blank charges for signaling and saluting.

Produced:
1903–1958
Action:
single-shot
Winchester Model 1898 signal cannon on its wheeled iron carriage, seen from the side.
Model 1898 signal cannon on its carriage. Photo by Hmaag, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
New to gun terms? Start here
Model:
The name of the gun design, such as Model 94. A model name that looks like a year does not tell you when your gun was made.
Serial number:
The number stamped on an individual gun. Include letters that are part of the number. A separate letter stamped above it, like the Model 97's C, D or E, is a different marking.
Receiver:
The main metal body just behind the barrel. The receiver ring is its front section, where the barrel joins it.
Tang:
A strip of metal extending from the receiver into the stock. The lower tang runs underneath, behind the trigger.
Stock:
The part you hold against your shoulder, usually made of wood on older Winchesters.
Forearm or forend:
The part under the barrel where your forward hand holds the gun.
Action:
The mechanism that loads and removes cartridges. Names such as lever action, pump action, and bolt action describe how it works.
Caliber or gauge:
The ammunition size or type a gun is designed to use. This marking is different from the model and serial number.
Takedown:
A version designed to separate into major sections for storage. A takedown joint is where those sections meet.
Proof mark:
A factory testing mark, such as Winchester's oval WP stamp. It is not a serial number or a date code.
Peep or aperture sight:
A rear sight with a small hole to look through. A hooded front sight has a cover around it.

Where these dates come from

We do not have a reliable year-by-year serial table for the Winchester Model 98 Signal Cannon. The notes below explain what the available references say about its numbers and production dates.

About the records behind serial dating →

What to know about Model 98 Signal Cannon serial numbers

  • Winchester cannons made through 1954 had no serial numbers. Six-digit serial numbers started in 1955, but no reliable serial range has been found for the cannons made from 1955 to 1958.
  • Hidden matching numbers get called different things. Some auction listings treat matching numbers on the underside of the barrel and band as serial numbers. Another cannon with no serial number carries the matching assembly number 10.
  • No widely published table turns a serial number into a year.
  • The pre-1899 antique cutoff does not apply here. Commercial production began in 1903. The name "Model 98" refers to design work done in 1898, not to cannons finished before 1899.
  • Cannons made later under licence, starting in 1975 and again in 2024, should not be added to the original Winchester total unless they are clearly labelled as such.
  • Dunlap announced a run of 250 cannons in 2024. Those modern numbers tell you nothing about the missing 1955–1958 Winchester range.
  • George Madis's tables list it as the factory "Model 98 Cannon" under "Salute Cannon." Other material commonly calls it the Winchester Model 98 Signal Cannon.

Factory record coverage for the Model 98 Signal Cannon

The Model 98 Signal Cannon is not on the Cody Firearms Records Office’s May 2024 coverage sheet. Ask the office about current availability. The notes and sources on this page explain the other dating information we have.

Which Winchester models can be lettered, and what a letter shows →